Montezuma Castle Photoset • cactuscat • 2024-09-04 • HikeArizona.COM

Montezuma Castle, AZ

	2024-09-04
	7 by cactuscat

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Montezuma Castle

Camp Verde, AZ

Montezuma Castle

Camp Verde, AZ

Hiking	0.33 Miles	20 AEG

Hiking	0.33 Miles
	20 ft AEG

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Exciting first day back from furlough!

Visitor reported a rattlesnake near the trail, and when I went out to check, it actually turned out to be two snakes in the process of mating!
Closed down that section of trail and waited for them to finish - it can take hours. When I went back out to check an hour or so later, the male was relaxing under a bench, so I called the snake guy to come process him.
We were surprised that the snake wasn't already microchipped, since he has obviously been around for quite a few years ... he's chipped now. He was over four feet long and over four pounds. And very well-behaved - never rattled or got angry. Successfully released afterwards. All this is part of a 30 year study under Dr. Erika Nowak, from NAU - one of the world's foremost experts on rattlesnakes ... if you google her, you can read about her amazing work.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

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